Fort CollinsDesign Manual

Examples andExplanations of

Fort Collins' LandUse Code Standards

Fort Collins

CITY PLANChanges & Choices

Community Design Solutions

Examples and Explanations

of Fort Collins’ Land Use Code Standards

Edition 1

May 2000

Community Planning & Environmental Services

Advance Planning Department

This ManualThis manual consists of an Introduction followed by direct annotation ofArticles 3 and 4 of the Fort Collins Land Use Code.

The Introduction summarizes a whole approach to designing developmentbased on the Land Use Code. The two Articles contain Fort Collins’ planningand design standards in their sectioned, legal outline format.

The complete outlines of Articles 3 and 4 are included in this manual.Within the outlines, only selected standards are presented and explained.The selected standards are marked with this reference box:

• N.A. indicates a standard or a section with No Annotation at this time.

• Anything written in this Times Roman type is actual Land Use Code text.

• Anything written in this type is an explanation only. These explanations maynot be used in official hearings to approve or deny any development plan.

We intend this manual to provide a forum for common understanding of thestandards and the reasons behind them. It is an open invitation: we welcomesuggestions, comments, questions, and concerns on these matters, andexpect to update and change the manual as appropriate. To share yourthoughts, start by contacting the Advance Planning Department, phone(970) 221-6376; or e-mail aplanning@ci.fort-collins.co.us.

This manual is not a regulatory document. It is not to be used by the DecisionMaker as a basis for approval or denial of a development plan.

Combining These Community DesignSolutions with Other Public Requirements

These example solutions focus on design decisions about a development site. Forthe most part, they skip past the crucial considerations which determine thesuitability and limitations of a piece of land for development in the first place —such as geology, hydrology, ecology, and the availability of streets, utilities, and asystem to handle storm water flow. These considerations should be assessedbefore designing a site plan.

Also, certain technical engineering standards for streets and utilities areincluded in the Land Use Code by reference only, and so they are not explained inthis document. These can typically be met without compromising the Land UseCode’s approach to development. They mostly involve details of construction andoperation of transportation and utility infrastructure.

Non-applicability to Industrial Facilities

Some aspects of the pedestrian-oriented development approach described in thisbooklet do not necessarily apply to industrial facilities. The Introduction is basedon standards for commercial, residential, and mixed-use developments.

The Land Use Code

The Land Use Code is Chapter 29 of the Municipal Code of the City of Fort Collins,containing local regulations for land use and land development.

City Plan

City Plan is Fort Collins’ Comprehensive Plan containing the Vision, Goals, andPrinciples and Policies upon which the Land Use Code is based.

Special Thanks & Acknowledgement

Anton Nelessen of ANA Associates, Inc., and Dan Burden of Walkable Communities,Inc., deserve recognition for sharing a number of pertinent photographs. Also, each oftheir firms has a highly visual, descriptive approach to planning which has significantlyinfluenced this manual.

Table of Contents

Introduction• Arranging Parts

• A Town-Like Pattern

• A Whole Approach

• Focus on Streets

• Build to a Sidewalk

• Emphasize Building Interactions

• A Balance of Priorities

• 4 Key Standards

• Creativity

Annotated Article 3 —General Development Standards

Annotated Article 4 —Zone District Standards

Introduction / 1

INTRODUCTION

2 / Introduction

A disconnected development whose plan emphasizes just one consideration: vehicleaccess to a parking lot. Even this one consideration exhibits a need for more thoughtfulplanning and design. This is the front. The back and sides consist of blank walls, moreasphalt, and chain link fencing, offering no positive relationship to the surroundingneighborhood.

Arranging Parts

Introduction / 3

Streets, sidewalks, building placement, and functional landscaping form a walkablepattern of city blocks and comfortable street fronts. This allows access for all, on footor on wheels. This looks like the most positive way to deal with traffic, air pollution, lossof local identity, and most other “growth” issues. It takes thoughtful design to avoidleaving out key parts, and integrate vehicular functions so they won’t overwhelm theplace. The standards affect design and operations both for real estate developers andfor City Departments.

Arranging Parts

Fort Collins Land Use Code standards deal with the basic physical fabric of the city.

The fabric is composed of a collection of parts — some privately owned, starting withbuildings and parking lots; and some publicly owned, starting with streets, parks,drainageways, and natural areas.

This book shows solutions to some basic local standards for how to arrange the parts in realestate developments.

Goals for the functioning, health, and appearance of Fort Collins depend on arranging theparts of new developments more along the lines of a traditional, walkable town. This meansconfronting and balancing the tendency for disconnected developments dominated by traffic,parking lots, and garages.

The most pervasive design question faced by the Code is probably this: how can vehicle accessbe provided with the least effect on the pedestrian environment and visual quality?

4 / Introduction

Example Context Diagram For a Residential DevelopmentSubdividing a Piece of Land vs. Building Up a Neighborhood or District

Town-Like Pattern

Subdividing an Individual Parcel in Isolation

• Minimum access as required for emergencies.

• No neighborhood interconnections; street pattern formsbarriers in the larger neighborhood.

• Solar orientation of lots is not addressed.

• This approach is expedient; little is thought or designwork required.

Context Diagram

• Look for neighborhood relationships –street patterns, parks, center.

• Provide for future accessibility in alldirections

Response to Context Diagram

• Coordinate with neighbors if possible.

• Provide connections in all needed directions

• Address solar orientation

• Provide a mix of housing types.

• Form an integral part of a functionalneighborhood and district consistant withCity Plan

• This approach is more difficult; more workrequired that #1 above.

Good place forNeighborhoodCenter basedon consider-ation ofcontext

FutureNeighborhoodAccess

FutureNeighborhoodDevelopment

Collector street fromMaster Street Plan

Good place for small park/detention based onconsideration of context

FutureAccessNeeded

ConceptualNeighborhoodArea About80-100 Acres

Existing Public Road

Existing Development Existing Development

Temporary turn-arounds may beneeded ifconnections can’tbe made initally.

Development Planas changed inresponse tocontext.

Typical Lotting Approaches - Land parcel about10 acres in a growth area (hypothetically).Assume north is up.

Existing Public Road

Exist

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tree

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11111

22222

33333

Introduction / 5

A Town-Like Pattern

Show individual developments in context. Streets and connections laid out by developers ofadjacent properties will be integral parts of neighborhoods and districts built up over time.

Project plans must include at least a diagram showing the proposed development in the context ofthe relevant neighborhood or district surroundings. This should include both sides of adjacentstreets, whole intersections, and conditions across all edges. Look at the zoning and the City PlanPrinciples and Policies behind it.

Then, especially on parcels with a dimension over 500 feet or so, look for ways to form a simple,connected pattern of streets and blocks. Look for existing streets that can be extended, andprovide street stubs that can be extended by future development. These streets will have trees,comfortable sidewalks and crosswalks, and special features to calm traffic if needed.

This pattern then lends itself to building fronts facing the streets and street corners.

In some cases, off-street paths and trails for bicyclists and pedestrians need to be extended orprovided in addition to streets.

It will take effort by developers and the City to tie parts together – housing and other land uses;streets, sidewalks, and buildings; individual styles and an underlying community fabric; developmentsand open lands.

Sequence showing evolution of an example plan for a piece of land,considering the context. The tendency is to only consider (1), dividingthe land into lots and put the traffic on the existing road. The Coderequires attention to (2), contributing to a larger neighborhood ordistrict. The result is (3), a different plan than (1), meeting multipleneeds. The Code emphasizes accessibility and mixing to avoid overload-ing one single street, multiply choices, and allow some everyday trips tobe shorter and more direct.

6 / Introduction

a.

b.

A Whole Approach

Introduction / 7

A Whole Approach

Specialists can easily design each of the parts — the driveway access, the parking lot, the sign,and building, for example — to serve technical and consumer marketing purposes in an individualdevelopment. The hard part is to make the multitude of real estate developments fit in and fittogether over time into a whole greater than the sum of the parts — a livable city.

a. Street edge along a commercial development with no connecting walkways. Everyone is required to walk acrossparking lots and drive-thrus to get to and from all buildings. The buildings are separated from each other and fromstreets by the maximum possible distances. Sidewalk segments and landscaping are relegated to leftover spots.The Land Use Code requires a more balanced approach with equal design consideration for the pedestrian.

b. Street edge, downtown Fort Collins commercial development. Ideally, styles and details will vary with buildings andtenants. But the aim is for each building to take its place along a landscaped walkway, close to neighboringbuildings, as an integral part of a walkable district or neighborhood.

ConnectingWalkways, Plazas,

Patios, etc.

Plans for real neighborhoodsand districts are morecomplex, broken down intoblocks with building facesalong connecting walkwaysand plazas, patios, etc. Theresult is a richer environment.To meet the standards, plansshould look more like this.

Without local standards,development formulascommonly result in buildingsas isolated “islands” engulfedby parking lots and drive-thrus, with no connectingwalkways to or betweenbuildings.

Street

Stre

et

Parking Lots

8 / Introduction

Focus on streets

This is an overriding theme in the City’s system.

Focus first on the thoughtful layout of an interconnected street network with walkable blocks.

Second, on the street itself as a positive public space with trees, sidewalks, transit stops, bikelanes,crosswalks, and other features.

And third, on the street front created by interesting building faces and entrances brought togetheralong streets. Big, roaring arterials may pose exceptions.

Comparison of formlesssprawl arranged entirely

around vehicle access toparking lots (left),

and

compact community developmentdesigned around people,

community identity, and ruralland conservation (right).

Introduction / 9

These three things all go together in walkable cities. There is not a new idea here — this is the waytowns and cities have traditionally been built.

Streets are the city’s most important public spaces. They determine what kind of place Fort Collinswill be, under what conditions its residents encounter each other in public, and what image the citywill project to visitors. They are the basis of accessibility for pedestrians as well as for vehicles.

A street is not an object that’s easy to recognize and deal with, like an individual building in its ownparking lot. A street is formed by many individual buildings, all part of the shared space. By focusingon a shared street instead of just a parking lot or private drive, we have to be more pluralistic — toaccommodate different points of view.

Focus on Streets

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10 / Introduction

A plan for new development with a focus on shared streets and a sense of community. Access is direct and convenient,walking is pleasurable, and transit becomes more feasible in cities that evolve along these lines.

Focus on Streets

Cour

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of L

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Kiss

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Introduction / 11

A Paragraph From City Plan:*

“New streets will make development an integrated extension of the community. The streetpattern will be simple, interconnected, and direct, avoiding circuitous routes. Multiple routesshould be provided between key destinations. Streets should be located to consider physicalfeatures, and to create views and prominent locations for civic landmarks such as parks, plazas,and schools.” — City Plan Principles and Policies, Policy CAD 1.3

In addition to standards for private development, the City itself has a critical role in responding totraffic pressures so that streets remain attractive public spaces which justify the orientation ofbuilding faces onto them. This has long been an intractable problem for cities. It will undoubtedlyrequire constant attention in Fort Collins’ future.

A comfortable street linking a neighborhood, a commercial district, and ultimately, the rest of the city. Elements areshort blocks, fronting buildings, detached sidewalks, street-side parking, medians, landscaping, and low traffic speeds. Abusy urban junction can be comfortable, interesting, and accessible by many modes of travel when streets accommodatemultiple needs.

Focus on Streets

* City Plan is Fort Collins’ Comprehensive Plan upon which the Land Use Code is based.

12 / Introduction

Street view of dwellings facing parking lots. The closest front door is behind the trash dumpster.

Street view of dwellings arranged in the traditional manner of homes on a local street.

Focus on Streets

Introduction / 13

Buildings With Only Parking Lot Access

The basic connections and relationships between parts often get shortchanged indevelopments where large or winding parking lots take the place of local streets. This formof development has little relationship to the community besides a traffic inlet/outlet ontoan existing street. And that is the key issue—the form of development created by thebasic arrangement. Requiring upgrades to buildings or landscaping can’t make up for thenegative effects of arranging everything around vehicle access to a parking lot.

Buildings Facing Streets

Street connections and relationships are what makes a city. Standards call for minglingdifferent building uses and ways of movement along city streets. Over and over again,these solutions emphasize a positive urban relationship of buildings facing onto land-scaped sidewalks. This form of development has a complete, integral relationship to thelarger community.

Parking lots are convenient and workable, but not at the expense of other importantconsiderations.

Focus on Streets

Views

Views

Cana

l

Street

Driveways

14 / Introduction

a.

c.

e.

f.

d.

b.

g.

Build to a Sidewalk

Introduction / 15

One other overriding theme naturally follows the focus on streets:

Build to a Sidewalk

This simple line paraphrases what may be the most important design standard in the Code. Itshows how simple a balanced approach to urbanization can be. It refers to a street sidewalk orother connecting walkway that directly connects to the street and neighboring buildings. Thecorollaries are that a street network is provided; and that any parking lots are behind, beside, orbelow the building.

The following passage from City Comforts by David Sucher makes the point.

“ There are many details to observe in cities and in these pictures but the reader mightfocus on and consider, above all, the placement of the building in relation to thesidewalk. Simple as it may be, this relationship of the building to the sidewalk is one ofthe key architectural decisions in city planning for cohesive neighborhoods. Thisrelationship is significant in residential areas but is of supreme importance in commercialareas. Indeed, it is the position of the building with respect to the sidewalk which makesa city. “

a.-d. “This”:“This”:“This”:“This”:“This”: Four examples showing buildings fordifferent land uses placed along sidewalks. In b., aconnecting walkway leads through a courtyard.

e.-g. “Not This”:“Not This”:“Not This”:“Not This”:“Not This”: Three examples showing buildings withno relationship to sidewalks.

16 / Introduction

As a timeless site planning solution, it’s hard to beat a nice street corner building for blending different objectives —visibility, pedestrian access, and orienting people to their location in the community. It puts the owner’s and the city’s bestface forward. At top, a new mixed use bank building with offices and dwelling units. Above, a new dwelling.

Build to a Sidewalk

Introduction / 17

Despite the benefits of creating street corners and then anchoring them with build-ings, these contributions to the city fabric are frequently omitted from real estatedevelopments. Both buildings above are located at significant arterial corners andboth show the arrangement at the respective corners.

The upper example fits the Land Use Code approach; the lower one would not meetseveral standards related to buildings, sidewalks, and the relationship between them.

Build to a Sidewalk

18 / Introduction

Emphasize Building Interactions

Fort Collins standards for buildings deal with the public role buildings play in shaping the streets,including sidewalks and other adjoining spaces.

Previous pages explain that buildings will be placed to anchor the sidewalk and street system.Entrances should then be clearly defined and directly connected to the street.

Building materials, architectural details, textures, and color ranges must be designed for visualinterest and human scale. Standards call for entrances, windows, projections, recesses, details,textures, compatible color shades, and shaped rooflines or cornices.

Look at the surrounding neighborhood or district and reinforce any positive characteristics. Com-patibility does not mean uniformity, but the context should not be neglected.

In short, a building needs to be designed as part of a public place to be inhabited by people. Genericcorporate prototypes and parking-lot or garage-based formulas may need to be modified to fit localstandards for distinctive, comfortable districts.

This cartoon doodle given to thePlanning Department during astudy of retail developmentcaptures a lot of the discussionabout local standards.

Introduction / 19

A Balance of Priorities

The public interests of the community, and the private interests in a given real estate development,often have different priorities in arranging a site plan. Below is a simplified comparison of competingapproaches that get blended and balanced. Ideally, a simple and memorable system of streets andoutdoor spaces is first formed in conjunction with schematic architecture. Then driveways, parkinglots and corporate themes can be fitted into the resulting fabric.

“Not This”

Vehicle-oriented arrangement with little or nocommunity design(Does Not Fit with the Land Use Code):

1) First, assign a predetermined number ofpredesigned floor plans to a parcel. Locatecommercial buildings for visibility of sign-likefacades across parking lots to motoristson public streets.

2) Locate driveways for car traffic, thenmaximize parking spaces on the site and infront of the door.

3) If commercial, pave generous areas fordelivery and service trucks to sides and rear.

4) Put signs, landscaping, or sidewalk segmentsin any leftover spots.

“This”

Pedestrian-oriented arrangement based oncommunity design(Fits with the Land Use Code):

1) First, explore and create a sequence oflandscaped streets, blocks, and comfortableconnecting walkways to structure buildingsites.

2) Place buildings close together with interest-ing building faces and outdoor spaces liningand anchoring the streets and corners.

3) Place parking lots and other vehicle useareas where they won’t interrupt theconnecting walkways or dominate thestreet scene.

Balances priority among a broad range of long- andshort-term needs; includes all important parts; is morecomplex, requires more design work and coordination,therefore is initially more costly with few costsdeferred, displaced, or unmet.

Results in more efficient use of land, energy, time, andall other resources by connections, mixing, compact-ness, and less car-dependence.

Places priority on a narrow range of short-termconsiderations; leaves out important parts; is easierwith less design work and coordination needed, thereforeis initially less costly with more costs deferred, displaced,or unmet.

Results in less efficient use of land, energy, time, and allother resources by segregation of uses and exclusivecar-dependence.

20 / Introduction

4 Key Standards Create a Shift

A handful of basic standards shift development away from impersonal patterns where parkinglots, garages, and all that goes with them, take the place of inviting streets and sidewalks.

The Code’s legal outline format may make your eyes glaze over at first. And, as always, detailswill still get complicated in some specific developments. But the essence is fairly simple.

The shift is toward a city laid out as a fabric of walkable districts. Districts will be connected bymultiple choices of enjoyable routes and modes of travel — based on walking as the universalmode used by virtually everyone to varying degrees.

These key standards require attention to basic relationships and considerations that mightotherwise be neglected:

• Orientation to a Connecting Walkway, 3.5.2 (B)(2) for multi-unit dwellings and 3.5.3(B)(1) for commercial buildings;

• Street Pattern and Connectivity, 3.6.3 (D) and (E);

• Neighborhoods with housing variety, parks, and neighborhood centers, 4.4 (D)(1), (2), (3),and (7); and

• Recessed Garage Doors to emphasize the faces of homes, 3.5.2 (E).

Creativity

Under the Land Use Code, there will be creative alternatives to the standards for particularsituations. But they should be just that — truly creative solutions that respond to the uniquecircumstances and still make progress toward the purposes behind the standards.